A mysterious illness struck two campuses in mid-April, forcing the Marcus Garvey Academy and the Focus: HOPE Center for Children to close for deep cleaning. As a result, one child died and dozens of students became infected.
The Center for Children was closed on May 2 and the following day for cleaning, and the Marcus Garvey Academy, at a different location, was closed the same day and until May 8 for deep cleaning, Detriot Channel 4 reported. At the school, one Garvey kindergartner died of H. influenzae on April 26, one child is hospitalized, and another has been discharged.
At the Center for Children, 17 students were infected, while seven children at Garvey, located across town, became ill, for a total of 25 children between the two facilities.
Six-year-old Jimari Williams was reported to be dead from the illness, The Detroit Free Press reported.
Last week, the Detroit Health Department announced that it was monitoring numerous cases of infection between the two locations, with officials saying that Hand-Foot-Mouth Disease (HFMD), a common viral illness that typically affects children under the age of 10, was spreading among students at the Center for Children.
HFMD is caused by a group of viruses called enteroviruses, which are also responsible for other childhood illnesses such as meningitis, polio and the common cold.
H. influenzae can cause invasive infections, where bacteria infect parts of the body that are usually germ-free. The CDC reports that common types of invasive disease caused by H. influenzae include pneumonia, bloodstream infection, and meningitis, with symptoms varying depending on the infected area. The CDC also confirms that respiratory droplets, produced by coughing or sneezing, spread H. influenzae from person to person. Inhaling these droplets can cause illness, according to the agency.
A 3-year-old girl spent two days in the hospital because of HFMD, officials said.
It is unclear how many students at Garvey Academy contracted the disease, but it is believed that about seven were affected, according to officials.
Last week, the Detroit Public Schools Community District said the school had experienced, “an unusually high rate of flu-like symptoms, including student fevers, and vomiting, namely at the early grade levels.”
Although the school has resumed, district officials are advising students with any symptoms to stay home to prevent the spread of viral or bacterial infections.